HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS

Holidays and Celebrations in Malaysia and Singapore

myMalaysiabook brings you festivals of Malaysia and Singapore.

HOLIDAYS AND CALENDARS

Festivals and Celebrations

Chinese Celebrations

2008 Calendar

2008 Calendar of Public Holidays here

2008 School holidays and terms

Religious and cultural festivals are a way of life in Malaysia and Singapore. With multi racial population in both countries, you will find at least one festival or celebration in any month. You will be able to see Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Burmese and many other cultural and religious festivals in Malaysia and Singapore.

     Holidays in may be National celebrations or State celebrations (Malaysia). Certain holidays in Malaysia, mainly religious or cultural ones, vary from State to state depending on the importance of the holiday to the population in the state.

Travellers to Malaysia and Singapore are advice to check the public holidays and Calendar of school holiday in Malaysia and Singapore. Hotels during these periods may be fully booked. Book early and check out the cities to stay in these two countries. 

Festivals and Celebration

Chinese New Year  (Jan/Feb)   This is the first day of  the year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is a custom for Chinese to spring clean or even paint their houses before the new year. Actual celebrations starts on the day before the new year, where family members gather for a reunion dinner. Many Chinese Malaysians will travel back to their hometown or family homes for this day. On New Year’s day relatives and friends visit each other and it is customary to give mandarin oranges during a visit, as a token of good luck and prosperity. Married couples are obliged to give red packets filled with money (called ‘Angpow’) to children of relatives or friends.   The New Year celebrations traditionally extend to 15 days, where the 15th day is the Chap Goh Meh festival.          

.....More on Chinese New Year and other Chinese celebrations here.

.....Chinese New Year cake and cookie recipes

Hari Raya Puasa (Aidilfitri) (according to Muslim calendar)    This is the first day of the month following Ramadan (a month of fasting and abstinence for Muslims). The celebration begins after sunset on the 29th day of Ramadan when Muslims break their daily fast. If the crescent appears, the next day is declared Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The day begins with Muslims praying in mosques early in the morning followed by visits to the graveyards of loved ones. In Malaysia, many Muslims hold ‘open houses’ for relatives and friends of all races. Homes are brightly lit with lamps and lights during this celebration. Muslims prepare a variety of cakes and food such as ketupat (rice cakes) and rendang (a dry curry) during this festival. This is a major celebration for many Malays who will travel back to their family homes for a gathering. (Photo: food stalls seen in the streets during Ramadan)

     Visitors in Malaysia can enjoy Malaysian food one month long - walk should take a walk round the numerous stalls that line the streets of town especially from late afternoon to night. A great place to sample Malay or Muslim cuisines, fruits and snacks.

Hari Raya Haji (Adiladha)    This celebration of sacrifice comes two months and ten days after Hari Raya Puasa. On this day, after Salat al-'Eid (prayers), Muslims sacrifice an animal: a ram, goat, sheep, cow or camel.  The meat is divided into three parts, one part distributed among the poor and needy, second part distributed among relatives and friends and third part is used by the family.  This is also a major holiday for Muslims to visit each other and give gifts to the children.  Adiladha is celebrated on the 10th of the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and again depends upon the crescent sighting for the first of the month.  Many Muslim make their pilgrimage to Mecca during this period.

Deepavali (November)     Deepavali (or Diwali) is the Festival of Lights which celebrated during the 7th month of the Hindu calendar (usually October or November). Hindus adorn their homes with dozens of lights or oil lamps, called vikku, to signify the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. It is celebrated as the day the evil Narakasura was slain by Lord Krishna. In Malaysia, it is celebrated by many Malaysian Indians who are Hindus. Malaysians of other religion will visit friends of Hindu faith to extend good wishes and to partake of the feasting and festivity. This is a major celebration for many Hindus in Malaysia, who will also hold ‘open houses’.

Thaipusam  (January/ February)   

On this day, Hindus pay homage to Lord Muruga and celebrations normally stretch over two to three days with drums and music played throughout the day and sometimes into the night. In Malaysia and Singapore, you will see thousands of devotees at Hindu temples. A prominent feature of the festival is the carrying of kavadis after sunset on the eve of Thaipusam. This ritual is done as a form of penance or to keep a promise for a prayer fulfilled. The kavadis are wooden or steel structures gaily decorated with coloured paper, fragrant flowers and fresh fruits. Some devotees pierce their cheeks, tongues, bodies or foreheads with metal needles or hooks while in a trance. It’s an incredible sight which you have to see to believe.

   Best place to see this is at Batu Caves (KL/ Selangor); Penang (Pulau Pinang; Sungai Petani (Kedah) and Ipoh (Perak). It is probably the most popular festival - enjoyed by tourists and devotees.

Festival of the Nine Emperor Gods (according to lunar calendar - Sept/Oct)     This festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar.  The Nine Emperor Gods are spiritual mediums believed to dwell in the stars in heaven. On the eve of the ninth moon, temples of the Deities hold a ceremony to welcome the gods.  The rituals during the festival acts as a channel between celestial beings and humans for the salvation and protection of mankind. The Gods are believed to travel through the waterways so processions are held from temples to the seashore or river.  The celebration lasts for 9 days. Many devotees throng to the temples to offer prayers and follow a vegetarian diet during this period. On the 9th day ends usually with a fire-walking ritual. In Penang temples are crowded and streets are lined with stalls selling praying items of vegetarian food.  Other Chinese festivals here....

Dragon Boat Festival / Chang Festival   (according to lunar calendar - June/July)    This festival marks the death of a Chinese poet and scholar Qu Yuan who drowned in 296 BC in Hunan province in China . When people heard of his disappearance, they scoured the river in boats to rescue him, beating their drums to scare off the fishes from nibbling at his body. Unable to find his body, they made glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and threw them into the river in the hope that the fishes would eat these dumplings instead of his remains. This day falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. To commemorate the occasion, boats were decorated with dragon heads on their bows. The tradition of making dumplings (called 'chang')is celebrated by the Chinese community in Malaysia with the offering of the dumplings to the gods. The festival is celebrated in Penang annually with an international dragon boat competition which is immensely popular and attracts participants from all over the world.

Wesak Day or Vesak Day (May)     Buddhists pay homage to Buddha by commemorating his birth, death and enlightenment on this day. On this day Buddhist throughout the country hold prayers at Buddhist and Chinese temples throughout the country. Many temples serve free food (especially to the less fortunate) or sell vegetarian food during the day. This is a major celebration for many of the Chinese Malaysians and Singaporeans who are mainly Buddhists and some of the Indians in the two countries.

     At temples, you can see devotees offering prayers and conducting rituals such as 'bathing of Buddha'. Check with tourism Malaysia and temple for processions which are sometimes held in cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Seremban, Melaka and George Town. These are usually beautifully decorated floats and candle light procession.

Christmas (25 December)    Christmas is a public holiday nationwide and church services or masses are held on the eve or on Christmas Day. Though a family celebration, Malaysian Christians may hold ‘open houses’ for friends or host Christmas parties.

CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND SONGS - MP3 DOWNLOADS

Gawai Dayak - This celebration starts on 1st June - It is the time when the native, Dayaks of Sarawak mark the end of the rice harvest and ushers in another year of bountiful goodness. Locals dresses in traditional costumes while the elders perform traditional rites. This party and continous celebrations is throughout the month of June.
Visitors to Sarawak at this time will get an exciting and excellent opportunity to learn about life at the longhouse, if they visit the place.

(Dayak is a collective name for the natives races in Sarawak, that is, the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut and others)
 

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